Full Course Catalog

Below is a summary of the courses ABLR offers. ABLR will customize any course to meet your specific needs for content, duration and on or off-site presentation. Contact us for further details.

I have served as counsel to clients in mediation and as a mediator for many years. I found the ABLR Mediation Advocacy course to be very worthwhile. The instructors were knowledgeable about the practice of mediation at large and shared their thoughts and insights into the ongoing evolution of mediation. The course was informative, interesting and contained great practical tips and tools.— Jean M. Dorton, Dorton Law

ADR Survey: Tips For Using ADRAlternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes can be effective alternatives to litigation for settling disputes of any size. With the existence of various forms of ADR processes, it is important to understand what each has to offer. This course provides an overview of the most commonly used ADR processes — mediation, arbitration, early neutral evaluation, med/arb, mini-trial. Participants will learn the pros and cons of each process, how to choose which one to utilize, how to choose a neutral and how to participate effectively in the different processes.

Topics include:

What are the various dispute resolution processes

How does each process work

What are the pros and cons of each process

How to choose which process to use

Practical tips for participating in each process

What are considerations for selecting neutrals

Drafting tips for ADR provisions

Course Duration: 3 hoursWho should attend: This course is valuable for in-house counsel, outside counsel, contract specialists, and business managers/executives who want to learn about effective alternatives to litigation for resolving disputes.

________________________________________________Mediation Advocacy

Mediation represents the best opportunity for clients (individuals and businesses alike) to resolve disputes amicably, expeditiously and inexpensively. The skills needed to be effective in mediation are substantially different from those needed for litigation or even arbitration. This course provides practitioners with the tools and techniques for effectively representing their clients in mediation.Topics include:

What is mediation

When is mediation appropriate

What is the mediation process

How to select a mediator

Drafting tips for mediation provisions

How to prepare for the mediation

How to prepare your client for the mediation

Practical tips for representing clients in the mediation

How to overcome barriers in mediation

Considerations for preparing a settlement agreement

What are the biggest mistakes made by mediation advocates

Course Duration: 4 hoursWho should attend: This course is valuable for litigators, in- house counsel and conflict management personnel who want to gain a better understanding of the mediation process, and improve their ability to represent their clients and participate in mediations.

________________________________________________Arbitration AdvocacyArbitration can be a more cost-effective and expeditious alternative to litigation, if done properly. There are several key differences between arbitration and litigation. Understanding these differences can be critical in the quality of representation in arbitration. This course provides practitioners with the tools and techniques for effectively representing their clients in arbitration.

Topics include:

What is the arbitration process

How does arbitration differ from litigation

What rules may govern the arbitration process

What are considerations for selecting arbitrators

What is important in preparing for the pre-hearing conference

What kind of discovery is available in arbitration

What is important in preparing for the evidentiary hearing

What is important in presenting at the evidentiary hearing

What are factors for drafting arbitration clauses

Course Duration: 4 hoursWho should attend: This course is valuable for litigators, corporate and transactional lawyers and in-house counsel who want to gain a better understanding of the arbitration process and use it more effectively.

________________________________________________Negotiating with ConfidenceNegotiations pervade our life whether within or outside a business setting. Your ability to negotiate effectively could be the difference between achieving your desired results or getting less than what you need. In this course, you will acquire the knowledge and skills to build your confidence and enhance your negotiating ability to obtain the best results for you and your clients.

Topics include:

Understanding the negotiation environment

Making an effective opening offer

Building rapport

Negotiating tactics and strategies and how to respond to them

How to respond to common objections

Strategies for difficult negotiations

The art of concession

Gender and cultural issues

Tips for preparing the settlement agreement

Course Duration: 3 hours
Who Should Attend: This course is valuable for outside counsel, in-house counsel, contract specialists and anyone responsible for negotiating the best possible terms of an agreement for their organization or clients, who want to gain or sharpen their negotiating skills.

It is common practice to include a pre-dispute resolution clause in commercial contracts. Since every contract is unique, it is important to customize the dispute resolution clause to fit the parties’ anticipated needs. A poorly drafted clause can give rise to further disputes and cost the client significantly in terms of outcome and expense. This course provides an overview of the most common alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes and tips for choosing the most appropriate one for an anticipated dispute. It also reviews ADR provisions, provides a checklist of issues to address when drafting ADR provisions and suggests clauses to avoid.

Topics Include:

What are the commonly used ADR processes

What are the considerations for choosing which process to use

Drafting do’s and don’ts for ADR provisions

Course Duration: 2 hours
Who Should Attend: This course is valuable for corporate and outside attorneys as well as other corporate personnel who are involved with contract preparation and negotiation.

________________________________________________Mediation Advocacy: Top Ten Mistakes Advocates Make in Mediation

Mediation is one of the most popular forms of alternative dispute resolution. It has the potential to settle the simplest to the most complex case in much less time and for much less money than litigation. To achieve the best results in mediation, it is important to understand the versatility of the process for resolving disputes. This course helps practitioners gain this understanding by examining the missteps that advocates frequently make that prevent them from achieving the best results.

Course Duration: 90 minutesWho Should Attend: This course is valuable for litigators, corporate lawyers, in- house counsel and conflict management personnel who want to improve their ability to represent their clients in mediations.

________________________________________________Prevention and Management of Conflict in the Workplace

Workplace conflict can be very expensive for businesses, and statistics show that the number of such conflicts is increasing. One solution businesses have to reduce the costs associated with conflicts is to be proactive. That is, they can take steps to prevent conflicts from arising and to resolve conflicts as early as possible, before they grow into full-blown disputes. This course explores the costs of conflict and the steps businesses can take to reduce the likelihood of workplace conflicts and minimize the costs when such conflicts occur.

Topics include:

Understanding the sources and costs of conflict

How to perform a workplace assessment to determine areas to address

Steps for reducing conflict in the workplace

Designing and implementing a conflict resolution program

Course Duration: 4 hours
Who Should Attend: This course is valuable for in-house and government counsel, human resource specialists, financial officers and other business executives who are interested in reducing the cost of conflict in their organizations.